The Mermaid's Tale Reimagined
by holdingoutforapiratehero
Summary: Pirate/Mermaid AU. Rated M for later chapters. When Princess Emma meets a cursed fate as a mermaid when she was just a child, only her true love can break the curse. Found by a pirate 20 years later, she decides to lead the life of a human with his help and along the way break the curse placed upon her. This is a rewrite of my first Mermaid's Tale fic.
1. Prologue

_AN: As everyone knows by now I am Cat. I have a fic called the Mermaids Tale which is a dark AU featuring our favorite ship. I encountered a problem trying to write it with the plot that I had originally imagined seeing as though I start fics without really thinking them through so I have decided to plan and rewrite it with a better vision of what I want. I don't think it will be as dark as I originally wanted but I think it will make a lot more sense. That being said, I don't plan to delete the other fic but this will be the one I will be updating (HA! As if I actually update anything!) I had a small break between adulting and my second semester of journalism school to work on this so I decided to just go for it. I know a lot of you are still waiting for other fics to be updated and I really have no clear answer for any of you and probably never will, especially given everything I have on my plate right now. I am just writing however I want and whenever I want. I am just doing me and posting as this little spurts of creativity come to me. Love you guys for the continued support and I hope that my writing doesn't disappoint. -Cat_

-The Mermaids Tale Reimagined-

Chapter One

The wood splintered where the swords clashed against one another in the heat of battle, each swipe of the wooden blade clamoring for dominance. Killian spun on the heel of his foot, countering the next blow above his head as his opponent sprung backward spritely onto his feet towering over him.

"You'll never win little brother," Liam sneered from atop the stairs. "I have the high ground," he boasted with a triumphant grin.

Killian sneered at his brother, calculating his next move carefully.

"Besides dear brother, you are too late," he let out a villainous cackle at his expense. A figure dressed in pink emerged from the shadows, her body shifting helplessly under his arm.

"Killian, help me! Please!" she begged, fighting against her captors hold.

Killian swallowed the lump in his throat, resisting the urge to charge at him with a feverish battle cry. "You will rue the day you messed with me! Release her now, or suffer the consequences," he challenged, twirling his sword against the biting wind.

"Oh come on already," the princess rolled her eyes impatiently. The princess stamped one of her delicate heeled feet on her captor's toes and he howled in pain. Her assailant doubled backwards, losing his footing along with the grip on his weapon after a carefully placed elbow to the chest. The princess seized the hilt of the blade in her hand before it hit the ground and placed it at the heart of her attacker. "Any last words," she looked down on him, twisting the blade into his pulsing heart and he winced under its pressure.

"Emma!" Killian groaned in protest as he hurried up the stairs of the courtyard. "You did it again!" He complained, placing a hand on his hip.

"So," she shook her blonde locks at him. "I am tired of always being the damsel in distress. It is unrealistic. I am a better swordsman than both of you put together," she jeered with a confident smile.

"Not all of us have private instructors we have been taking lessons from since they were out of the womb," Killian argued.

"We are also not that kin to the best swordsman in the realm," Liam added from his spot on the ground.

"So what you are saying is that you need the practice?" She curled her lip in amusement.

"Not exactly," Killian said distracting the princess long enough for his brother to once again gain the upper hand.

"Never turn your back on a blade dear princess," the eldest brother reminded the apprehended girl.

Emma whined and crossed her arms in defeat. "Bad form," she stated, narrowing her eyes. "It takes a dirty trick for you to win."

The brothers tried to contain their fits of laughter but it left like spit from their mouths.

"You have never played fair your highness," Killian managed to get out between laughs as Liam coughed and sputtered beside him.

"I have never resorted to such tactics," she asserted with a huff, turning her head away from them in insult.

Princess Snow peered down at the feuding children in the courtyard below from her window, an uneasy expression marring her porcelain face as she looked on. "She is getting too close to them David," she voiced her concern.

"Easy Snow," David warned, pulling her away from the window and leading her toward a small seating area in the middle of the room. "Let her enjoy her life while she still can," he reasoned sweetly.

"I just don't want to see anyone get hurt," she said with remorse. "There are only a few more months left until…"

"I know," he cut her off, his face falling at the reminder. "Don't dwell on it and just enjoy the time we have left with our daughter," he told her solemnly, placing a kiss to her temple.

"Who is to say that something will even happen? The day could come and go with nothing wrong. Maybe… maybe Reginia forgot. Or maybe it isn't what we think at all you never-"

David took both of his wife's hands in his, effectively quieting her. "Whatever happens. We will face it together," he vowed.

"I hope your right."

 _The royals and new parents smiled proudly over the crowd of friends and loyal subjects gathered in the great hall to witness this important event. David lifted the swaddled infant above his head for all to see._

" _It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you Princess-"_

 _The doors of the hall burst open suddenly revealing the couple's nemesis- Queen Reginia._

 _David scooped the baby into his arms and pressed her protectively against his chest._

 _Regina sneered, twirling around dramatically to face the people of the court who cowered in her presence. "I didn't come for any of you. I wanted to bring a gift to celebrate the arrival of the new princess" she grinned sinisterly. "However, it isn't quite finished yet. No, this gift won't be ready for another 8 years. On the eve of the girl's 8_ _th_ _birthday she will victim to a terrible curse," Reginia explained._

 _The crowd gasped and she smiled in amusement at their fear. "Enjoy this birthday because everyone that passes from here on out will be closer to her last."_

Snow woke with a start, the sheets beneath her soaked with sweat at the distant memory that has haunted her dreams for the last 8 years. Snow swept the covers from her body and rose to her feet in haste.

The date she had been fearing was approaching quickly with no solution in sight. She had seen the faeries that lived in the forest, consorted with healers, and fussed with witches, and none knew the answer to her query. _How could this be stopped?_ She had refused to admit defeat and consulted a wise wizard known only as the Dark One. His dark magic was of legend and was said to have put an end to a once great evil but like all magic came at a great cost; one that they hadn't been able to pay.

" _We will find another way Snow," David reasoned with his wife._

" _There is no other way… we have to take what we can get," she argued._

" _I am not willing to sacrifice another one of our children… even one that has yet to be conceived," David pleaded with her. "We just have to have faith that there is another way…" He gave her a half-hearted smile as he looked down upon her tear stained grief-stricken face._

" _We don't even know what this curse is Charming. How are we supposed to prepare for something that we don't know?"_

 _David took his gloved finger, carefully swiping away a tear that had managed to slip from her eye, "We don't…" He choked out sorrowfully._

 _Snow's face fell in defeat at his words but she knew he was right. It would be something that they would need to be patient and wait out._

" _We are true love," he said matter of factly, smiling softly at recalling the memory of their own story. "We can face any curse and any length of time apart because we always find each other," he said causing her to sniffle._

" _She will find us," Snow declared absolutely._

" _She will find us," he agreed. "True love's kiss will break whatever spell she might be under and she will return to us."_

Snow chanced a glimpse at her sleeping husband snoring softly in bed, a grimace forming at her lips at the surge of memories of the last few years. Snow seized her silk dressing robe from the chair nearby and threw it over her shoulders before grabbing the lit candle from the nightstand and bringing it to her line of vision. "I'm sorry Charming," she whispered to his sleeping form.

Snow threw open the doors, dashing down the hallway of the castle with soft footfalls as her robe billowed behind her in the night. She kept a grip on the candle stick and used her other hand to cradle the flame from the chill of the hall as she ran toward her daughter's nursery.

The guard posted at her door afforded her a small smile, the two exchanging a mutual understanding in silence as he allowed her to pass. She had done this several times over the last few years but it had only gotten worse over time. Three months from now she would lose her beloved daughter to a curse and she was helpless to stop it. She had become one of those over baring and over protective mothers she had sworn to herself she would never be but what choice did she have but to hold her daughter close and never let go?

Snow let out a sigh of relief as she rounded the bed to find her daughter asleep under the covers, her soft child-like snores echoing the room. Snow relinquished her hold on the candle stick and placed it at the bedside to ward off anyone who wished to do her child harm before removing her robe and crawling into bed beside the sleeping girl.

Emma stirred, gargling in her sleep as the bed creaked. "Mom?" she questioned groggily.

"Hush now. Go back to sleep." Snow cooed wrapping her arms around her daughter and pulling her sleeping form closer into her tight safe embrace. She held her tightly against her body, crying softly in the child's blonde locks letting the proximity of her daughter loll her back into a restless sleep.

Early the next morning, David crept into the nursery doorway and crossed his arms at the sight of his wife asleep alone in their daughter's bed. He leaned against the doorway causing the door to creak and crossed his arms across his chest.

Snow stirred awake at the sound, stretching her arms over her head and yawning.

"You did again," he tisked with a shake of his head.

Snow's eyes screwed open immediately, placing an outstretched palm out next to her and gripped the cold sheets beside her on the bed. "Emma!" she shouted, alarmed by the vacant spot on the bed.

"Is with Greta in the kitchen getting breakfast," he pushed himself off the door and closed the distance between himself and the bed. "This is the third time this week Snow. You can't keep doing this," he noted, his eyebrows knitting together with concern.

"I know…" she groaned at herself, running her hands down her face with mild embarrassment.

"Do you?" he countered. "You can't keep living like every single day is going to be the last. We agreed to make things as normal for her as possible," he reminded. "This isn't normal Snow. Far from it," he added for good measure.

"I have three months left. Three Charming!" she gripped the sheets beneath her, balling them in her hands as she shouted. "I want to savor every last second with her before she is ripped away from us! From me!" she fought against the tears forming in her eyes.

"I don't want her to see you like this. You are tearing yourself apart with worry. You can't change what is going to happen. You can't save her but you can save her childhood. Don't let her live in a constant state of fear like you are… like you have been for the last few years…" he grimaced, closing his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his wife as she sobbed into his neck.

"Slow down, you!" Midge, the kitchen aid called after the children running through the kitchen in a fit of giggles.

Killian stepped up on his tiptoes, his large blue eyes peering up beneath thick black locks toward the plate of crisp buttery toast sitting on the counter in front of him. He licked his lips and fetched himself a piece into his greedy hands. "Midge?" he asked between bites. "Where is Papa this morning? I didn't see him this morning."

"Your father left late last night on business I'm afraid. He should return later this evening I suspect," she told the boy while vigorously stirring the bowl of batter sitting underneath her arm. "Run along now and get washed up for breakfast," she nodded toward the door.

Killian ran into the kitchen door with the toast sitting half-hazardly in his mouth and the door swung to and frow behind him. He took his toast to the dock, casually eating as his tiny feet swayed back and forth over the edge of the water as he watched the boats in the ocean.

"I should have known you were here…" a small voice said from behind him.

The ten-year-old boy looked up to find his friend Emma, her hair blowing in breeze of the sea, the sun kissing her cheeks as she smiled at him. "Mind if I sit next to you?" she asked, taking a seat beside him on the dock before he could even answer her.

"How did you find me?" he pouted.

"You always come here to wait for your Pa to return when he leaves…" she said looking out into the water, squinting her eyes against the sun blazing down on them.

"Do not!" he denied fiercely, pushing her slightly off balance.

"It isn't nice to hit a lady," she berated him with a slap across the back making him nearly spit out his food.

"You're no lady, your just Emma…" the preteen tossed his hair, shaking the girl off.

"He's coming back you know, he always does." She assured him with her soft childlike voice.

"Just go away Emma…" he shrugged, taking another bite of toast and turning his back away from her.

"Fine. But when you are ready to stop sulking, you know where to find me…"

Killian hadn't returned to the castle all day and when Liam went to search for him and hadn't returned himself, she began to grow restless with worry for the boys she had become quite fund of.

"Mother, have you seen Killian today?" the young princess wondered, tugging on her mother's gown.

"I'm sorry. I haven't seen him dear."

Emma pursed her lips in thought before sprinted from the castle toward the docks just as a ship was loading up with its cargo and its crew. She came to an abrupt halt on the dock as she saw Killian being led away by two men dressed in nautical regalia. "Wait! Killian!"

Killian fought against the males that held him, squirming to reach the young princess who he called friend. "Emma!" he called out to her, grunting as he tried to kick his way through.

"Unhand him!" she charged toward the men, her pink dress spouting out from her as she ran. "My name is Princess Emma and I demand that you unhand him at once!"

The two gap toothed men exchanged confused looks at one another and then at the princess.

"This is no business of yours princess, beat it!" Another man interrupted, getting between her and Killian.

"It _is_ my business. He is my friend and under royal employ," she insisted, trying to pry the men's arms away from Killian.

"Not anymore he ain't," one of the men coughed from beside Killian.

"What do you mean?" She implored, confusion coloring her cheeks.

"He's been sold," the other man spoke up.

"Sold?" She contemplated. "To whom?" She demanded, her brow furrowing.

"To me." The other gentleman crossed in front of the heated exchange with the cross of his arms. "His father sold the lot of them to my charge in order to pay off his gambling debts," the ships supposed captain explained.

"You must let me pay the debt! I have money!" Emma asserted, staring down the men that held her friend's captive. This was far from the game they had played just yesterday, this was real.

The men poked out their chests and laughed at the young princess.

"I'll tell you what. I like your spunk," he teased. "If you manage to return with 200 gold before my ship is set to leave, I will free both the boys," he offered with a sly smile.

"Deal." She nodded her head in determination, extending her hand to shake his in understanding.

Killian stood helplessly wide eyed as he watched the exchange, his brows raised in disbelief. The annoying princess who always followed he and his brother around was bargaining for both their lives. _Why?_

The man cackled cruelly. "I don't shake. As far as your concerned, your time started two minutes ago…"

Emma's expression widened in fear and she nearly tripped over herself and her dress as she turned on her heels to return to the castle with the funds needed to free them.

The men laughed enthusiastically behind her as she ran back toward the castle and the one in charge gave the order to load up as quickly as they could and if they did they would receive a bonus for their efforts.

The young girl raced through the woods, her determination urging her forward even as her body grew too tired to move. Emma eventually reached the castle grounds, stopping just beyond of the large double doors leading out to the garden where just yesterday they had been playing like the children they were. So much had changed since then.

She didn't have much time to reflect when there was a race against the clock. She paused momentarily to catch her breath before stomping up the stairs and throwing open the doors. "Mom! Dad!" She screamed, catching their attention from down the hall from the landing.

"Emma!" They rushed toward her, their faces agasp with fear as the reached her trembling body.

"What is wrong?" Her mother asked, bending down to her level to look her over. Her dress was torn, her face smudged with dirt, and there was a gash on her knee from one of the tree branches that had caused her to slip and fall.

"I need 200 pieces of gold," she managed to get out, her breath heavy.

"You can have whatever you want sweetie," David assured her. "What on earth do you need it for?" He wondered.

"Liam… Killian… They have Killian!" She cried, unable to hold it back any longer.

"Harriot!" Snow rose to her feet, calling for her handmaid.

Harriot rushed to the woman's side and waited on baited breath for her request.

"Fetch 200 pieces of gold from the royal treasury at once. Be quick about it, there are lives at stake!" Snow told the woman who nodded her confirmation and began barking orders which quickly spread throughout the castle.

Emma threw her arms around her father, crying into his shoulder out of fear for her comrades whose fate was in her incapable hands.

"I could kill him." David gritted through his teeth, referring to the young boy's father.

"They are but boys, David." Snow reminded him, pacing the hallway in wait for the funds. "And to put this responsibility on to a mere girl… our girl…" she amended, putting a hand on her hip.

"Send for my hand and tell him to meet us at the docks." David instructed a nearby guard.

The maid returned with the purse containing 200 gold coins, one hundred coins for each boy, and a very hefty sum and made their way to the docks.

The armored guards galloped toward the guards in haste. Emma rode on her father's saddle, safely contained in his lap while her mother stayed behind.

"Yah! Yah!" He urged it along with the clap of the reins, his feet kicking the side of the horse to move faster.

"Hurry!" Emma said, her hair sticking wildly to her face.

The horse stalled, bucking on its hind legs as they reached the docks, not wanting to go any further. David looked on in horror as the boat pulled away from the docks, the waves crashing along its side and carrying the boat to sea.

"No…" David muttered.

"No!" The young girl screamed, jumping from the horse without warning and falling ungracefully onto the wooden dock.

"Emma…" David reached out for her.

"Killian!" Emma ran the length of the dock, tears falling ceaselessly from her eyes. "Killian!" She called out breathlessly before falling to her knees at the very end of the dock, the boat still in sight but yet so far away. "Killian!" she sobbed, collapsing into a fit of tears into the empty dock. "I tried Killian. I tried. I am so sorry," she spoke to him amidst the tears in an apology he would never hear. "I'm sorry…" she whispered helplessly.

Charming unseated his horse and leapt onto the dock, jogging toward the boat at sea and over to his daughter.

"He's gone Dad," she sniffled, bringing a tear to his eye.

Not even a prince could give his daughter everything she wanted in life. At that moment he felt like a complete failure.

"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough angel," he apologized, wiping some of the tears from his eyes before she could see them. David bent his knee to the dock and cradled his teary-eyed daughter into his arms. He took her back to the horse and saddled her back for the trip back to the castle.

David carried Emma inside the castle, the girl had cried herself to sleep on the way back. The doors opened to reveal a hopeful Snow, her expression falling when the entered without the boys and a shake of his head to confirm the worst.

"I wasn't fast enough." He told her.

Snow stood before him, stretching her arms around him to encompass her family.

As promised, on the eve of Princess Emma's 8th birthday the curse came for her and everyone in the kingdom. The memories of that day and every day for the last 8 years were erased from their minds. The boys and the ill-fated princess were both lost at sea and it wouldn't be for another twenty years until they would be found.

 _AN: Sorry if my writing got a little sloppy toward the end. I just wanted to power through it seeing as though this was the first chapter and it was already much longer than I had originally planned it to be. Hope you guys still liked it though. Any thoughts?_

 _P.S. This fic is rated M for later chapters because you know me, it's not one of mine unless there is smut, so not to worry._


	2. Daring Rescue

_AN: Me and my puppy worked tirelessly on this next chapter amidst everything else I had to do to prepare for the spring semester. I don't think she can complain though, the sounds of the ocean and soft melodies seemed to relax her while I wrote. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Hope you like._

-The Mermaids Tale Reimagined-

Chapter Two

" _You always come here to wait for your Pa to return when he leaves…"_

Killian closed his eyes against the sudden onslaught of a memory he couldn't quite recall, the small feminine voice vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place it. He allowed himself to smell the salt rising up from the ocean as the waves crashed along the shore line, his feet sinking into the accustomed feeling of wet sand against his bare toes.

Although he didn't remember much of his childhood, he credited the sea to raising him from a mere boy to a man of thirty with thoughts and ambitions of his very own. Always being close to the ocean felt like being home and he needed more of that in his life after having just lost his brother. Liam had been the last family he had left, the only family he ever had.

His father abandoned both he and his brother and left them at the mercy of a wealthy ship owner in order to pay the debt their father had been loaned. His father never came to collect them, after a while they had forgotten how they had even come to be in that position.

They grew up aboard the vessel that claimed them as boys until they were able to buy their way out of their life of servitude. They joined a band of pirates and worked their way up to being one of the captain's favorite. When it was time for a replacement, Liam was named the ship's captain until the day he lost his life.

In the heat of battle, Liam took a rusty blade to the shoulder and the wound got infected. Those last few days were torture for Kilian as he watched his brother die a most gruesome and painful death. They buried him at sea as was tradition and as Liam's second in command, Killian was named captain.

When the ship rolled into port, the ships new captain called for a few days of observance for the crew's loss as well as his own. The crew spent their money gambling or at the whore houses while others spent time among family nearby. This port was home for the crew but Killian's had and always would be the sea.

The sea billowed around him, greeting him like an old friend but providing him no comfort. Gripping the neck of his flask, he brought to his lips and took a long swig of his drink. The liquor burned his throat, doing little to quell the hole left in his heart after Liam's passing. It had only been three weeks but the wound of losing his brother was still as fresh as the day it had happened.

The breeze nipped at his skin, sending a shiver down his spine at the thought. Killian collapsed into the cool sand, his pant legs rolled to his ankles with his flask resting on his knee. Absent mindedly, he traced the letters inked into the skin of his wrist…

 _L…i…a…m_

He had gotten it done in his memory after a drunken night at the pub, he was far too grief stricken to recall how many drinks he had had that evening, but no amount of liquor could numb the pain he felt; the pain he still felt. He remembered waking up naked that following morning with a nameless whore in his bed, a throbbing headache, and a bandage covering his wrist.

"Liam…" he whispered to the wind, hearing the wind whisper back in return.

Killian hadn't cried once since his brother's death, the whole ordeal as bottled up as the amber colored liquor stored in his signature flask. He refused to shed a tear over his loss for fear that if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop.

"Captain…" a voice called from behind him, breaking his train of thought.

Killian turned around to see his first mate standing alone on the beach, the ship moored in the water behind him, the ship rocking against the waves. For once, he was grateful for the interruption of his grief.

"Andrew-" He acknowledged, straightening his disheveled appearance.

"I wanted to you know that the crew is ready to set sail and is awaiting your command, sir." Andrew told him.

"Very good. Tell them to be at the ready and I will be along shortly."

Andrew gave him a loyal nod of his head and he watched as the man jogged back to the boat resting on the shore.

It was finally time to head back to his life of piracy and face a reality without his brother. The break hadn't been for his benefit but then again, he wasn't thinking of himself when he allowed it. He craved to be back on the ship, he could certainly use the distraction.

Carefully, he picked himself out from the sand and brushed himself free of its grains before bending down to retrieve his flask. He froze when something further along the beach glinted in the distance, obscuring his vision. He shielded his eyes, cupping his hand at his brow to get a closer look at what caused it.

Under the light of the moon he could hardly make out the shadow on the beach but still, he couldn't ignore it. He approached with caution, his feet carrying him the distance between himself and the creature that lay on the shore as if on instinct.

His heart thrummed in his cheat, the waves in the ocean cresting and falling to the same rhythm in his chest. He rounded the figure, the metal charms of his necklace slapping against his chest as he moved to get a better look.

It appeared to be an oversized fish caught in a large net, its unconscious form covered in seaweed and kelp. He chanced tapping it with his foot, the body swishing in the sand and the fin flapping faintly in return and the fish groaned slightly.

 _Groaned?_

He was perplexed by the idea that the fish might not entirely be a fish. He knelt down and began removing the kelp the covered the fish to reveal that the fish was actually a woman. Not entirely human but still, a woman of sorts. She was gravely injured and on the brink of death.

This wasn't the first time he had encountered such a creature although this was the first time he hadn't been in such a precarious predicament. Normally these deadly creatures were assaulting his vessel with everything they had. Only once in his past had he ever seen one so dangerously up close as he did now.

Not too long ago he had come face to face with one of the mermaids trying to kill him and his crew when she was brought aboard the ship. Immediately, she began to gasp for air and began to shrivel up from being out of the water. He took mercy on the creature and returned it to the water. For his generosity he was rewarded with an amulet that allowed the wearer to be human in order to spare any future mermaids of the fate that had almost befell her.

She was beautiful, as were most of her kind. They were as enchanting as they were dangerous. The sea siren before him seemed different somehow from the others. Her upper half appeared nude, although covered with bits of seaweed, he could make out the gentle swell of her breasts. Her face was soft and regal, her pink lips plumped into a slight pout, and her hair cascaded out from her head like molten gold. If it weren't for her scaled body and the fin protruding from where her feet would have been, she would look almost human.

He stared, mystified by her appearance but also apprehensive and slightly worried as to her state of being. If she had any chance of surviving he would have to act quickly. Reaching into the pocket of his leather trousers, he retrieved the small blade designed for emergencies and began slashing away at the sea vines and fishing net that held the mermaid captive.

She stirred slightly under its movements but soon enough she was freed from her binds.

"Come lass, I've got you," he said scooping the unconscious mythical creature into his waiting arms. He crushed her limp form against his chest and wade out into the water, his ship just within swimming distance. He used one arm to carry the injured merwoman and the other to propel his body forward against the resistant waves of the ocean.

Killian tasted the bitter taste of the salt water in his mouth as they drifted toward his ship, his head occasionally sinking under. "Stay with me lass, we are almost there," he encouraged, coughing and sputtering as he ingested more water. With wet locks matted against his eyes, he could just make out the bow of the Jolly Roger and immediately screamed for assistance.

With the aid of his crew, they were hoisted up using a rope and pully system. Killian reached the top of the ship, collapsing on his knees with his arms spread out beside him, breathing heavily as he attempted to catch is breath. The mermaid fell beside him, the mermaid's fin slapping across the deck like a dead wet fish.

"Andrew!" Killian mustered his first mate, who came to be beside him in an instant while another of his crew wrapped a blanket around his shivering body. "Grab my satchel from my quarters and see that is brought to me," he requested.

Andrew nodded his understanding, his boss yelling "hurry" behind him as he scampered away toward the captain's quarters.

Killian crawled on his knees to better inspect the ailing mermaid before him. Her face appeared pale as a sheet on the brink of death. He looked over her wounds, lacerations from the net covered her torso and arms, a few of her scales were discolored or rotting, and her fin had been scraped by rocks.

"Captain!" Andrew returned with the satchel, throwing it beside him as a few curious crew members looked on with rapt attention.

He threw open the brown leather bag, blindly fishing inside it until he gripped the object he required. Killian drew the golden amulet by the chain from the bag, its aquamarine jewels glinting in the night. In the middle of the chain sat a half moon crescent decorated with blue aquamarines and pearls.

Careful not to jostle her too much, he turned her over on her back to face him. Her unmistakable beauty caught him off guard causing a sharp intake of breath by the pirate. Her wet golden curls glistened under the light of the moon and although her eyes were closed he knew them to be as equally alluring as the rest of her. Her body possessed all the subtle curves of a woman, her brazen nudity affecting him far more than he dared to admit.

It was cold enough to see his own breath as he fiddled with the clasp of the necklace, trying not to grow irritated by its fastenings. He let out a shaky breath as he bent forward close enough for his lips to graze the soft skin of her neck, still slick with perspiration from the ocean. He chanced a sniff of her hair as he wound the ends of the chain around her neck and with one hand raised her head gently off the ground to secure it, the amulet falling into place at her clavicle.

As the amulet touched her salty naked skin, she came to life beneath him. The color returned to her cheeks followed by a steady heartbeat along with the gentle rise and fall of her bosom as her breathing evened. Killian let a small smile slip past his defenses at the thought of saving her life, something he hadn't been able to do for his dearly departed brother.

"Are you mad? She will kill us all!" Thomas, one of his crew members bellowed from the crowd gathered around them causing the men to bustle about in agreement.

"No," he said softly. "No, she won't," he assured them, his lips twisting into a knowing smirk, his gaze moving toward the place her tail had once been to find a pair of human legs.

 _AN: And that is chapter 2… Thoughts? In your opinion has my grammar improved at all after my headache inducing grammar class last semester? Let me know._


	3. Humanity

_AN: This was a very hard chapter to focus on the writing of because the puppy was crying and whining every few minutes. It took a rain storm for me to buckle down to write this and she made it very difficult to finish so forgive me if it isn't my best and there are mistakes._

-The Mermaid's Tale Reimagined-

Chapter Three

Emma stirred restlessly, groaning as she regained consciousness. Her body ached mercilessly, the pain radiating from unknown sources.

 _What happened?_

Despite the pounding in her head, she shifted herself finding a bit of resistance from above her body. Grimacing, she blinked her eyes open slowly, and winced from the onslaught of light shining from above.

She was clearly not in the ocean anymore, of that much she was sure. But _how_?

Peering out from her long lashes slowly, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the cabin to take a look at her surroundings. The uneasy rocking of the ship left her under the impression that she was still close to the water, yet not safe in its cool embrace. She was indoors on some sort of human water vessel, the waves lapping at the sides of the ship causing it to sway from side to side. She appeared to be buried alive under mountains of woolen warmth, the heat piercing her skin and causing her perspire with moisture. She could hardly move, captive in a cocoon-like prison.

The single lamp above swung back and forth, illuminating the surrounding area. From it she could make out the rest of the cabin. There was a desk a few feet away, maps and instruments for sea travel resting haphazardly on the top of it. Against a wall, there was a small wardrobe, the door open slightly revealing a sea of back garments with a few pops of color thrown in. On the opposite wall there was a bookcase filled with books, none of which titles she could make sense of from her position on what appeared to be a bed used for sleeping. On the farthest side of the room was a set of narrow stairs that led topside. There was also a closed door leading to a small room, steam rising from the small opening between the door and the floor.

Killian emerged from the small bath adjoining his cabin, beads of water running off his skin as he stepped through the door into the main room.

Emma sunk deeper into the covers, watching as the half-naked man walked into the room. Her eyes shifted about his naked chest and down to his lower half which was covered by a tight fitting pair of leather trousers that sat low on his hips. His upper half was covered in dark chest hair, trailing lower between the v of his hips and disappearing underneath his pants. His arms were thick, the muscles in his upper arms bulging as he walked over to the desk.

Killian bent over the table and retrieved his signature chain he usually donned as droplets of water from his wet hair hit the maps below. He situated it around his neck, the silver chains resting in a nest of dark hair on his chest.

The muscles in his sculpted back rippled as he placed the chain around his neck and she swallowed unexpectedly.

He scrubbed a hand down his face with a long sigh and pushed the dark wet locks from his face in order to gaze upon the maps that sat on top of the desk. Killian placed a hand on either side of the desk, stretching as his arms curled around the table, the charms in his chain dangling in his immediate purview as he began to chart their journey in his head.

Killian was interrupted by a faint squeak from the bed beside him and with slight annoyance turned to face its source.

Emma clamored underneath the covers, fighting to be released as she caught his attention. She didn't know what to make of him and her current predicament and she had no intention of sticking around to find out.

Killian strode over to the bed, his steps quick and purposeful as Emma moved to open her mouth. He knew that a single shriek of a mermaid would call her kin to her aid and would no doubt blow the windows from the ship surely sending them all into the depths of the ocean.

"Choose your next actions wisely," he cautioned, with a cold stare and his hand firmly clasped around her mouth preventing her from speaking.

Emma panicked below him, her eyes shifting from side to side as she realized she no longer had the use of her tail to save her. Fresh tears sprung in her eyes at the realization along with confusion for how she had gotten herself to this point.

"Now, _mermaid_ -" he acknowledged her species with a threat. "I am going to remove my hand. Should you chose to put the lives of myself and my crew in peril by calling for help, you will leave me with no choice but to slit your throat, and I assure you, I take no pleasure in taking the life of a woman, mermaid or not. Do we have an understanding?"

The mermaid closed her eyes, letting the tears slip past her defenses, one of her arms abandoning the warmness under the covers to have her hand wrap around his own arms hold on her, her eyes silently pleading for mercy.

"Nod so I know you understand," he challenged with the raise of an eyebrow.

Emma gripped his wrist, her eyes boring into his dark stare as she nodded.

Killian released her slowly, stepping back slightly allowing her to catch her breath.

Emma gasped as her breath returned to her and struggled to rid herself from the blanket cocoon to attempt to sit up.

"Easy there lass. Don't move to quickly," he warned, a slight sincerity in his voice.

" _What?_ What did you do to me?" She questioned, her voice hoarse and timid.

"Do to you?" He tested the words on his tongue, forcing down his distaste for her accusation. "What I've done is save your life," he spat, his stare cold and humorless under thick brows, knitting together with mild offence. "Lay down," he insisted, pushing her back down onto the bed with a single hand to the chest.

Killian turned away from her, his gaze shifting to the window as he looked out at the water below. "When I found you, you were half dead. From what, I am unsure," he said uneasily. "All I know is that without my service and quick thinking, you would most likely be dead right now."

"How is it that I have legs?" She asked pointedly.

"I had to do it. If not, you would have surely perished. You are an ungrateful little fish. You _should_ be thanking me. That amulet comes with a caveat, you know," he reveled.

"An amulet. That's what did this to me?" She wondered aloud, tracing the amulet with her fingers like it was the most precious thing in the world to her. "I have been searching for something to give me my humanity my whole life." She mused.

Killian lifted a quizzical brow in her direction, taken off guard by her words. "You mean to tell me, you've been trying to become a human?"

"I've never quite fit in with my own kind," she thought softly with a tearful smile. "How ever did you come to possess such a thing?"

The pirate circled the bed and took a seat on the edge to face her, his forearms relaxed against his knees. "It was a gift," he confessed. He swallowed hard, unable to tell her the rest of what she needed to know. "But the condition isn't permanent."

"What do you mean?" She pondered.

"It doesn't grant the wearer humanity permanently. It is temporary. It only works on one wearing one time, once it's removed that is the end of its magic for that particular wearer. If not removed, it's magic works for a few weeks at most. Once the light dims, so does the magic." He explained, reaching out to hold the amulet out to the stunned mermaid so that she could see the bright glow emanating from the amulet.

"Oh…" She sighed, cradling the amulet to her heart as a few helpless tears slipped from her green eyes.

"I'll leave you for a few moments love. Is there anything I can get you?" He asked, placing an unsure hand on her blanket covered knee.

She shook her head, wiping the tears from her face as he left her in a stunned silence.

Killian left the mermaid have a few moments to herself. She had seemed shocked by the news that this hadn't been the answer to her problems. What was more puzzling was the fact that she didn't remember how she had come to be here. There were a few things that didn't add up in his mind given the bits and pieces of information he had about her.

A few minutes later he returned to the cabin with food and drink along with some ointment for the scrapes and scratches that marred her porcelain skin. He climbed down the stairs to find her entire body exposed to the cold air of the cabin, gazing at her new limbs in wonderment as she got to know her new body.

He nearly dropped the silver tray he held in his hand at the sight of her nude form, but more specifically her amusement over her own exploration of it. She basked in the soft caress of her finger tips against the smoothness of her legs. She gasped as her touch ghosted along the apex of her thighs in wonderment. Killian stiffened in his leathers at the sight, cursing himself for his male response to her innocence. Her hair cascaded from her shoulders, covering her breasts but not enough to shield his view of her pert rosy nipples poking out from her blonde tresses.

Killian took a deep breath to steel himself and tightened his grip on the tray. He cleared his throat to announce his presence and break her from her concentration. "I brought you some food and some ointment for your cuts." He said awkwardly, still attempting to avert his gaze from her brazen appearance. He set the tray down on the nightstand next to the bed and let the mermaid look over the refreshments he had brought for her. "Tuck in lass."

On the tray was an assortment of meats, bread, cheese, and fruit. It was as much as he could prepare himself because the cook was off duty for the evening. Alongside it was a pitcher of mulled wine and two cups.

Emma picked at the food, tasting everything before getting glutenous over the new flavors that assaulted her human taste buds. "We have food in the ocean. It just doesn't taste like this." She sighed contently before sticking another piece of bread into her mouth.

Killian chuckled to himself, amused by her fervor before busying himself with prepping the ointment for her wounds. "I forgot to ask, but do you have a name love?" He asked, looking up from the scrap of gauze saturated with ointment.

Emma nodded, her cheeks full of food. "My name is Emma." She said after swallowing.

"Emma." He repeated. "A lovely name for a lovely lass."

Emma's cheeks filled with color at the compliment and to fill the silence stuffed more food into her mouth. "What are you called _pirate_?

"You wound me love. I'm anything but a mere pirate. Lay back slightly." He instructed.

She did as she was bid, tilting her body back to grant him further access to her wounds. He touched the ointment to her cuts and scrapes, soothing them with the cooling ointment.

"Does that feel better?" He asked.

She nodded slowly, his touch doing wonders on her wounds. She caught his gaze with her own, green on blue, and stilled his movements. "You never told me what I am to call you."

"They call this pirate Killian." He allowed his name. He brought her arm up to rest over his bare shoulder, continuing to clean up her wounds as she snacked.

"I like the name Killian." She provided with a soft enduring smile.

Killian returned her smile generously. "How is it that you are so good at English?" He wondered, pausing to put more ointment onto the gauze.

"I'm not actually sure. I suppose I've always spent more time watching humans than being with my own kind. I guess I've picked up a lot." She supplied, slightly unsure of her own answer.

"You're an interesting creature." He gave an amused grin. "All done." He announced, releasing her from his grip and returning her to the comfort of the bed.

"Here, you might want to cover up a little." He said, handing her the covers and blocking her naked form.

"Oh, I don't mind." She settled in, dropping the blanket.

"I'm afraid I do." He blushed slightly. "I'm not partial to naked women in my bed that I'm not familiar with carnally." He explained sheepishly, a slight frustration growing in his pants.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." She said confused by his sudden concern.

Killian sat back on the bed, picking up the covers and placing them around her body impatiently. "It means that as a human male, I am having a hard time controlling myself around you at the moment." He tried in the simplest of terms. "You might be accustomed to nudity on a basic level but outside of a brothel it isn't commonplace."

Emma held the blankets close to her body, covering herself up. "Brothel?" She asked, testing the foreign word on her lips.

"So your English isn't perfect." He noted aloud. "This might be a conversation for another time."

"Please." She halted him with a hand on his. "I want to know everything about human life." She said excitedly.

Killian gave an uneasy smile at her eagerness to learn everything he had to teach her on what it was like to be a human. He licked his lips before answering her query, "a brothel is a place where men pay to seek the pleasure of women."

She gave him a puzzled expression.

"There is a lot more to it than _that_ but I would need a lot more time to explain it." He dismissed the subject.

"I've got time. Well… sort of." She said, ending on a sour note. "I'm starting to think I will never become a human and I've been wasting my entire existence trying to find a cure to my _affliction_. I don't know why but I feel like I was never meant for this life. I was always meant to be a human. I've watched them from afar and just felt a pull to the life of a human. Even if it is temporary, this is the closest I have ever gotten. I want to experience everything about human life that I possibly can."

Killian blinked at her, astonished by the impact of her words and trying to understand what it was she was truly asking for and getting herself into.

"Emma…" He began, licking his lips. "Human life is messy. It hurts. Both physically and emotionally. There are few human pleasures that make it pleasurable but at the end of the day. It is just _lonely_ …" He explained.

Emma's face fell at that.

"The only thing that keeps me going is the blood lust that piracy gives me, a woman or two to warm my bed with no hope of real human companionship, and the burn of rum down my throat." He confessed lowly, being far more candid with her in one interaction than a lifetime of interactions with someone he knew.

"Sounds like my life as a mermaid." She noted sadly. "There isn't much to it but just a purposeless existence. The only thing that has kept me going is trying to become human. Even though your life is miserable, I think there is a great deal you can teach me about Killian." She said hopefully.

"What is it you want to learn?" He wondered.

"I want to know every human experience." She stated eagerly.

Killian laughed at that. "There are very few in my world that get to experience every facet of humanity Emma. Including myself."

"Like what?" She nearly bounced with excitement.

"Like love for instance. Not everyone gets to fall in love. It is a complicated and fickle emotion that often causes a great deal of pain." He shook his head in dismay.

"Have you ever been in love?" She asked him honestly.

"I've been in lust." He said overtly.

"Is that more obtainable?" She wondered, not quite understanding the full meaning behind what she was asking.

"I would say so…" He said, his voice husky as he pushed a lock of blonde hair from her shoulder to expose the cleavage straining out of the covers. Lowering his mouth to her shoulder, he placed a single kiss to the sensitive skin there.

Emma sucked in a breath at the contact, unaware of the effect that such a simple act would have on her.

"But only if you want it." He whispered.

"If it is anything like _that_ than I do want it." She agreed innocently against his obvious charm.

"Is there anything else you want to learn or experience?"

Emma paused to think about it before riddling off a few expectations she had of humanity that she wanted to cover in the small time frame. "I want to dress like a lady, ride a horse, stir a ship, eat a lot…"

He chuckled at that and nodded for her to continue.

"Will you teach me how to be a pirate?" She grinned excitedly.

"I can. I can even teach you how to sword fight."

"Yes, do that. And I know you can't find me love but if you can create what it is like to be in love I would like that very much. I might not ever get another chance like this again."

"I will do the best I can. The amulet's magic will only last for two weeks, give or take a day or two. After that you will have to return to the water. You won't be able to survive on land." He warned.

"Thank you, Killian!" She leapt into his arms and pulled him in for a tight hug, her breasts brushing up against his bare chest nearly driving him mad with desire for the impressionable mermaid.

He had to promise he wouldn't do wrong by her. He would be the honorable man his brother knew him to be and not take advantage. Even though it would be hard and possibly the death of him.

 _AN: So that is essentially the introduction of the plot for this re-write. I got carried away with this one but I had a lot of fun writing it even though words somewhat evaded me. I hope you enjoyed it._


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